A timepiece, in particular a wristwatch, allows the user to know the current time, which may be corrected in a known manner by pulling out the winding stem to a determined position.
The wristwatch can also display, alter or start functions “derived” from the current time, such as the date indication, the time zone, chronograph, etc. . . . In order to do this the middle part must also comprise a certain number of push buttons.
By way of non-limiting example, the chronograph watch disclosed in EP Patent No. 1 085 384 may be cited, wherein the middle part includes two push buttons and a winding stem able to occupy three positions.
This raises a certain number of problems for the designers, in particular for making the case, which encloses the heart of the watch, namely the movement, water resistant at that point. The presence of push buttons does not necessarily lead to the sober and elegant attractive appearance sought for top of the range of mid range timepieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,177 discloses a timepiece, one embodiment of which is an alarm watch including a single external control member on which many different manipulations have to be carried out (traction, pressure, rotation, pause between two manipulations) in order to correct the time, correct the alarm time or check/alter the state of the alarm. This alarm watch is compulsorily fitted with an electronic control circuit and the complexity of the manipulations to be performed constitutes a drawback. Unless he has an excellent memory, the user is practically obliged to permanently carry the instructions with him.